Hezbollah strongholds in Beirut hit by rockets after Nasrallah pledges ‘victory’ in Syria
A Lebanese policeman speaks on the phone while inspecting a damaged apartment after two rockets exploded in Shiah, a southern suburb of Beirut, on May 26, 2013. At least four people were wounded when two rockets exploded in the Shiite-majority Hezbollah heartland of south Beirut, a Lebanese security source said. It was the first time the Lebanese capital’s southern suburbs have been targeted during the two-year-old conflict in neighbouring Syria, where Hezbollah has thrown its military might into the regime’s fight against rebels seeking to topple President Bashar al-Assad.
Hezbollah strongholds in Beirut were hit by two rockets Sunday, just a day after the group's leader Hassan Nasrallah promised "victory" for Assad's forces in Syria's ongoing conflict.
It was the first attack to apparently target the Hezbollah-controlled Shiite suburbs in the south of the Lebanese capital since the outbreak of the two-year conflict in neighboring Syria, which has sharply heightened Lebanon's own sectarian tensions.
More from GlobalPost: Hezbollah leader Nasrallah pledges ‘victory’ for Assad in Syria
At least four people were injured in the Grad missile blasts, which hit a car exhibit in Mar Mikhael district and the second floor of an apartment in the nearby Chiyah district, the Associated Press reported.
Interior Minister Marwan Charbel, who called the attack "sabotage," said the rockets were launched from a “remote location” from the southeast, but gave no further details.
Syria's two-year uprising has polarized Lebanon, with Sunni Muslims supporting the rebels and Shiite Hezbollah and its allies supporting Assad.
Until his speech yesterday, Nasrallah insisted that Hezbollah had not sent guerrillas to fight alongside Assad's forces.
The rockets hit as Hezbollah and Syrian fighters are waging a strong offensive in the rebel-held town of Qusayr, a strategic location near the Lebanese border which connects the Mediterranean to Damascus.
In addition, at least 25 people have been killed in Tripoli over the last week, in street fighting which has coincided with the battle for Qusayr across the border.
There is no paywall on the story you just read because a community of dedicated listeners and readers have contributed to keep the global news you rely on free and accessible for all. Will you join the 319 donors who have supported The World so far? From now until Dec. 31, your gift will help us unlock a $67,000 match. Donate today to double your impact!